Bahrain‘s top legal authority’s suggestion that spousal rape should not be treated as crime has been opposed, local media reported.

The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) last Tuesday suggested that husbands who force themselves on their wives should not be prosecuted. Also, it said, the men who “reasonably” discipline their wives and daughters should be considered above the law. …

“Rape is rape, regardless of who the victim is. There is still a lack of understanding in this region about the rights of women in abusive relationships. The last thing we want is for a rapist husband to use the law as a shield against being charged with rape,” the Gulf Daily News quoted Batelco Care Centre for Family Violence Cases head Sharifa Swar as saying.